Minnesota sees spike in violent crimes

Minnesotans saw an increase in violent crimes in 2015, mostly driven by large jumps in murders and rapes.

In its annual Uniform Crime Report released Friday, the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported 130 murders, 48 more than 2014. The total is the highest in 15 years.

The spike in violence isn't unique to Minnesota, said Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association in Alexandria, Va. Domestic abuse and opioid crimes are key in the nationwide trend.

"I talk to a different sheriff every day and maybe one told me violent crime had reached a plateau or was moving slowly downward," he said.

Although the specific crimes of murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery rose 7.6 percent, all serious crimes, including nonviolent offenses, dropped 1.2 percent.

In 2014, human trafficking was added into the violent crimes category. There were 119 cases last year compared with 35 in 2014.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who is also president of the state sheriffs' association, said the group worked hard this year to pass legislation for mandatory sentences for illegal guns used in drug crimes. It's also a primary focus for the sheriff's offices Violent Offender Task Force.

Nearly 50 percent of the state's crime happens in Hennepin County, where 25 percent of the population lives. There were 320 more reported rapes in 2015 than the previous year and 300 more aggravated assaults. In total, law enforcement agencies statewide handled 13,294 violent crime cases.

Social media plays a somewhat unique role in gang-related crimes in the Twin Cities, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C. Instead of confronting somebody in person, a gang member can just post a message that can quickly create conflict, he said.

The state's 130 murders pale in comparison to several other cities. In 2015, Chicago alone had 468 murders and Milwaukee 103.

Not surprisingly, 88 of the state's murders involved guns and 55 of the victims were between the ages of 18 and 34. More than half the murders were in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

In 56 of the murders, an argument or domestic issue was given as the reason for the violence. Among victims, 58 were black and 52 were white, and seven alleged killers were under 18. Only a handful of the murder victims didn't know their killer.

Although violent crime was up in 2015, the lower numbers in 2014 were almost an aberration, said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. From 2010 through 2015, his office prosecuted roughly the same number of sexual assaults and murders.

With the exception of opioids and cocaine, drug cases dropped significantly, during the same time period. Juvenile cases decreased from 5,000 to 3,600.

The explosion of cheap and potent heroin has been a key factor in the surge of violent crimes, Thompson said. The opioid mixed with fentanyl adds an additional layer of danger, he said.

"When you have supply and demand, crimes follow quickly thereafter," he said. "It cuts across all demographics and geographical boundaries."

The BCA's 156-page report covers a wide range of criminal stats, including bias crimes and assaults on law enforcement officers. There is a section on missing children, which currently has 588 active cases. Burglary victims reported that the total value of their stolen property was more than $16 million.